Racing: Fingers crossed Cheval De Troy will triumph in Rosehill Guineas

Better timing would be impossible as a replay of the Canterbury Guineas came on Sydney television moments after we called Colin Jillings yesterday.

Not that Jillings enjoys watching that race. His class colt Cheval De Troy was a good thing beaten in finishing third in his Australian debut.

One thing it did prove, and the positive to take away, is that Cheval De Troy looks a good thing for Saturday's A$500,000 Rosehill Guineas.

If the Canterbury Guineas had been Cheval De Troy's only Australian start Jillings would probably now be in a padded cell.

Instead, he is greatly looking forward to the group one classic, a race he has produced two horses into, Tycoon Lil and McGinty, for two seconds.

McGinty struck a wet track and his nemesis that beat him that day, Strawberry Road, was unbeatable on rain-affected footing. Tycoon Lil looked to have the race won and was swamped in the last two strides by a horse who was largely unknown at that time, Tie The Knot, but who went on to win most of Australia's suitable feature races.

Jillings has tried not to watch the latest running of the Canterbury Guineas, a race McGinty won, but he had no choice yesterday.

He couldn't help himself: "Look, he's missed the jump, once he did that he was up against it. He normally races in the first four or five.

"There he is now, leaving the home straight he's equal last and the horse outside him has pushed him into the running rail.

"He's still second last going down the back and he's got eight horses in front of him.

"He's made a bit of a run, but, look, he's been pushed back to last again coming to the turn. He's got nowhere to go, he's tried to come out, but there's no room.

"He's got a gap, but that bloke outside him has pushed him back in.

"He's only fifth there short of the post and he gets up for third, flying home. He's in front now, but that's past the post and that's no good to me.

"Ohh, he's a good thing beaten."

You didn't need to be watching the replay yourself.

No one disagreed with Jillings' summation of the race.

And if you needed further help to believe Cheval De Troy can finally win his first group one race, you need to know that Jillings believes the Zabeel colt is greatly improved for his Canterbury Guineas run.

"He's actually improved a lot. He looks a picture, it is probably the best he has been in his career."

In which case, against the same field he met at Canterbury, only bad luck could beat him again.

Jillings watched television at the Sydney races on Saturday and saw Xcellent's magnificent win in the group one Darley Stakes at Ellerslie.

No one would have analysed that race more minutely than Jillings. He will saddle a horse for the last time in a 55-year training career when Cheval De Troy faces Xcellent in the A$1.8 million AJC Derby at Easter.

Xcellent is now a stinking favourite to win the Derby and he deserves to be.

When mobiles go on roaming mode overseas, the charges are reversed to the owner.

"I've got to go, you're costing me a fortune," said Jillings.